John Paul — Mechatronics Engineer

Experience

Professional Journey

/// PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 7 ROLES // ROBOTICS + AUTOMOTIVE + MARINE

CAREER JOURNEY

2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

Side Projects

Neura Robotics · Germany

Humanoid Development Engineer

Aug 2024 – Present

Leading humanoid robot development at Neura Robotics, focusing on end-to-end mechanical design, actuation integration, and rapid prototyping for the 4NE-1 humanoid platform. Driving hardware innovations from concept through production-grade builds.

Mechatronics Engineer Intern

Feb – Aug 2024

Robotics QA & EoL Testing Engineer

Oct 2023 – Feb 2024

▸ Designed and prototyped an 11-DOF humanoid hand for the 4NE-1 platform

▸ Completed 3 rapid design iterations within 2-month sprint cycles for advanced hand mechanics

▸ Optimized components for cost-to-performance, exceeding competitor functional specs at reduced production cost

Dr. Sugeeth Gopinathan — VP Project & Product Management, Co-Founder @ NEURA Robotics

Humanoid Robotics Mechanical Design CAD (Creo) Rapid Prototyping Actuation Integration EoL Testing

NavVis GmbH · Germany

Assembly & Calibration Technician

Aug 2022 – Sep 2023

Assembled and calibrated LiDAR scanning systems at NavVis in Munich — my first role in Germany. Gained deep hands-on experience with precision hardware assembly, optical alignment, and systematic quality verification for industrial mobile mapping platforms.

▸ Assembled and calibrated high-precision LiDAR scanners for the NavVis VLX platform

▸ Performed End-of-Line validation ensuring all units met optical and mechanical tolerances

▸ Collaborated with production engineering to optimize assembly workflows

"John possesses outstanding electronic skills that impressed me from his interview day. More than just his technical skills, he is a friendly and approachable colleague who adds positivity to any team."

Joana Ferreira — Industrial & Production Engineer @ NavVis

LiDAR Assembly Optical Calibration Hardware Testing Quality Assurance

Navidium India · India

Marine IoT Implementation Engineer

Nov 2019 – Nov 2021

Implemented IoT telemetry systems for marine vessels, enabling real-time monitoring of engine performance, fuel consumption, and navigation data across a fleet of commercial ships.

▸ Deployed IoT sensor networks on 20+ commercial vessels for real-time data acquisition

▸ Built dashboards for engine performance & fuel monitoring, reducing operational costs

▸ Integrated GPS, engine sensors, and communication modules into unified telemetry architecture

IoT Marine Systems Sensor Integration Telemetry Embedded Systems

Mercedes-Benz · Germany

Automotive Engineering Intern

Jul 2018

Automotive engineering internship at Mercedes-Benz, gaining exposure to vehicle systems engineering, production processes, and quality standards in one of the world's leading automotive manufacturers.

▸ Supported vehicle systems engineering and production process optimization

▸ Gained hands-on experience with automotive quality standards and testing

Automotive Engineering Vehicle Systems Production Quality

KELTRON · India

Electronics Engineering Intern

Jul 2016

Electronics engineering internship at KELTRON (Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation), working on electronics manufacturing, PCB assembly, and embedded system testing.

▸ Assisted in PCB assembly and electronics manufacturing processes

▸ Performed embedded system testing and quality verification

Electronics PCB Assembly Embedded Systems Testing

Stories

Work Stories

/// WORK STORIES MOMENTS, PROJECTS, EXPERIENCES

NEURA ROBOTICS

NAVVIS GMBH

+ 01 / 05

▸ LAYER 01_01 · NEURA ROBOTICS

Chilling with the humanoid

With the 4NE-1 humanoid robot

Neura Christmas Party 2025

I didn't choose robotics. It chose me somewhere around age 8, watching a movie I can't even remember the name of. Twenty years later I'm standing next to a humanoid robot I helped build, in a country I moved to alone, at a company doing things that didn't exist when I was a kid dreaming about them. NEURA was two and a half years of hard work, great people, and a quiet reminder that some childhood obsessions are worth chasing all the way to Germany.

▸ LAYER 01_02 · DR. SUGEETH GOPINATHAN

"I count myself lucky to have had John Paul on my team. Beyond his undeniable skills in robotic prototyping, John brought an energy and a level of insight that fundamentally improved systems he was working on. He has a unique ability to take a vision and turn it into a reality with minimal oversight and maximum creativity, as he is a proactive thinker who anticipates needs before they are even voiced. Any leader looking for a high-impact, high-integrity professional would be fortunate to have John on their side."

Dr. Sugeeth Gopinathan

VP of Project & Product Management, Co-Founder @ NEURA Robotics

▸ LAYER 01_03 · MAVARICK HO

"As VP of Advanced Development, I managed John Paul's work as a Humanoid Mechanical Engineer over a six-month period. His work exclusively targeted advanced hand mechanics. Core Competencies Demonstrated: Rapid Prototyping — Executed complete mechanical hand design iterations within strict two-month timelines. Cost-to-Performance Optimization — Engineered components to minimize production costs while exceeding the functional performance of competitor models. Competitive Engineering — Successfully adapted and improved upon complex design patterns utilized by major robotics manufacturers. Target Execution — Delivers high-efficiency output when provided with defined project parameters and structured goals."

Mavarick Ho

VP of Advanced Development, Co-Founder @ NEURA Robotics

▸ LAYER 02_01 · NAVVIS GMBH

With the NavVis VLX scanner

NavVis Halloween Party

My first job in Germany. New country, new language, new everything and somehow I ended up assembling LiDAR scanners in Munich with a team that made it all feel easy. NavVis was never part of the grand plan. But it taught me how real hardware gets built — carefully, precisely, and with a lot of patience. Lessons I carried into everything after.

▸ LAYER 02_02 · JOANA FERREIRA

Joana Ferreira

Industrial & Production Engineer @ NavVis

Projects

Project Portfolio

/// PROJECT PORTFOLIO 7 PROJECTS // MECHANICAL + ELECTRONICS + SOFTWARE

📁 projects/

▸📁vision-robotic-hand/

▶ demo.mp4

■ hand.png

✎ README.md

★ results.dat

⚒ stack.yaml

▸📁22-dof-hand/

▶ demo.mp4

✎ README.md

★ results.dat

⚒ stack.yaml

▸📁11-dof-hand/

■ hand.png

✎ README.md

★ results.dat

⚒ stack.yaml

▸📁myoelectric-arm/

▶ demo.mp4

✎ README.md

★ results.dat

⚒ stack.yaml

▸📁multi-terrain-robot/

▶ demo.mp4

✎ README.md

★ results.dat

⚒ stack.yaml

▸📁bamboo-bot/

▶ demo.mp4

✎ README.md

★ results.dat

⚒ stack.yaml

▸📁8bit-propeller/

▶ demo.mp4

✎ README.md

★ results.dat

⚒ stack.yaml

Vision Robotic Hand

Vision-Based Tactile Robotic Hand with Real-Time Grasp Planning

Independently designed and built an end-to-end robotic hand for adaptive grasping, combining vision-based tactile sensing and ML-based grasp planning to detect contact and adjust grasps in real time.

Key Results

Achieved 90 N gripping force
Improved grasp adaptability by ~30% across 6+ object types
Delivered 3 prototype iterations in 2 months with hardware cost under €2,000
Self designed Interactive GUI with real time feedback

Mechanical DesignPTC Creo ParametricSolidWorksActuation IntegrationRapid Prototyping3D PrintingSensor IntegrationEmbedded VisionGUI DevelopmentRobotic System Integration

22-DOF Humanoid Hand

Developed a 22-DOF tendon-driven humanoid hand capable of mimicking human hand gestures in real time using a Raspberry Pi 5 and wrist-mounted camera.

Key Results

Delivered a standalone humanoid hand system for real-time gesture mimicry
Combined embedded vision, gesture tracking, and robotic hand actuation
Demonstrated responsive hand-motion replication for interactive demos

Mechanical DesignTendon-Driven MechanismsRaspberry PiArduinoMediaPipeComputer VisionPython3D Printing

11-DOF Humanoid Robotic Hand for 4NE-1

Master's thesis at Neura Robotics: end-to-end design, CAD development, and prototyping of a fully articulated 11-DOF robotic hand for the 4NE-1 humanoid.

Key Results

Delivered a functional 11-DOF robotic hand prototype for humanoid applications
Achieved compact palm-integrated actuation with 11 linear actuators at 1:1 scale
Enabled dexterous grasping and manipulation for the 4NE-1 humanoid platform

PTC Creo ParametricCAD DevelopmentHumanoid Hand DesignRapid Prototyping3D PrintingHumanoid Robotics

Myoelectric Bionic Arm

Bachelor's thesis: design and prototyping of a 3D-printed EMG-controlled prosthetic arm for lower-arm amputees, combining bio-mechatronic design and Arduino-based control.

Key Results

Delivered a functional EMG-controlled prosthetic arm prototype
Reduced cost by ~70% compared to commercially available prosthetic hands
Received the Best Bachelor's Project Award

Prosthetics DesignBio-MechatronicsEMG Signal ProcessingArduino3D PrintingEmbedded Systems

Multi-Terrain Mobile Robot

Built a 4-wheel mobile robot capable of climbing steep 80° inclined ramps using a custom manipulator mechanism. First Prize at national level in a Roborave International competition.

Key Results

Climbing capability on ramps up to 80° inclination
Traction-assisted terrain climbing via custom manipulator
First Prize at National Level — Roborave International

Mobile RoboticsManipulator IntegrationRobot PrototypingTerrain AdaptationSystem Testing

Bamboo-Bot

A fun side project exploring how simple natural materials could be turned into a working mechanical system. Built from bamboo with a water-driven mechanism.

Key Results

Fully water-powered mechanical build made from bamboo
Demonstrated sustainable engineering through natural materials
Creative concept project combining mechanics and sustainability

Sustainable DesignMechanical PrototypingCreative EngineeringMechanism Design

8-Bit Propeller LED Display

Built an 8-bit propeller display from scratch creating floating visual patterns in mid-air using persistence of vision (POV).

Key Results

Floating visual patterns in mid-air via persistence of vision
Displays text and time through synchronized LED switching
Working prototype combining embedded systems and mechanical design

ArduinoEmbedded SystemsPOV DisplayLED ControlCircuit DesignMechanical Assembly

1 / 5

Education

Academic Foundation

/// ACADEMIC FOUNDATION 2 DEGREES // GERMANY + INDIA

M.Eng. Mechatronics and Cyber-Physical Systems

Deggendorf Institute of Technology, Germany

2021 – 2025

Robotics Cyber-Physical Systems Intelligent Automation Mechanical Design & Control Systems

Thesis: Designed and developed an 11-DOF tendon-driven humanoid robotic hand for the 4NE-1 platform at Neura Robotics, covering mechanical architecture, joint design, kinematic modeling, and prototyping.

B.Tech Electronics and Communication Engineering

Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology, India

2015 – 2019

Electronics Embedded Systems Programming Control Engineering

Thesis: Designed and developed an EMG-controlled prosthetic arm for lower-arm amputees, combining bio-mechatronic design, muscle-signal-based actuation, and functional prototyping. The project reduced cost by 70% compared to commercially available prosthetic hands and received the Best Bachelor's Project Award.

Skills

Technical Skills

/// TECHNICAL SKILLS HARDWARE + SOFTWARE + TOOLS

Robotics & Manipulation

Humanoid Robotics Robotic Hands Dexterous Manipulation Robotic System Integration Vision-Assisted Grasping Tendon-Driven Mechanisms Kinematic Modeling Robot Calibration

Mechanical & Validation

Mechanical Design CAD (Creo/SolidWorks) Actuator Integration Rapid Prototyping 3D Printing Test & Validation FEA Technical Troubleshooting

Programming & Tools

Python C++ Arduino Raspberry Pi Embedded Systems Computer Vision Blender Jira / Confluence

Achievements

Awards & Recognition

/// AWARDS & RECOGNITION 4 AWARDS // NATIONAL + INSTITUTE LEVEL

2019

First Prize – Roborave International

AlpineBot competition

2019

First Prize – National Robotics Event

MazelBot competition

2019

Best Bachelor's Project Award

Electronics Department, 2019

2017

All-Rounder Student Award

Academic and extracurricular excellence

Beyond Engineering

Personal Interests

/// PERSONAL INTERESTS MUSIC // COOKING // BASKETBALL // DOGS

While engineering and robotics are a big part of my life, I also believe that creativity and passion outside of work shape who we are as individuals. Music is one of my biggest passions. I love singing and often perform at local bars and small concerts. Performing in front of people has helped me build confidence, connect with different audiences, and express creativity in a way that is completely different from engineering. I also enjoy cooking and experimenting with different cuisines; for me, cooking is similar to engineering — it involves creativity, precision, and the joy of creating something meaningful from simple ingredients. Sports have always been important in my life as well. I enjoy playing basketball, which helps me stay active and reinforces teamwork and discipline. And of course, I absolutely love dogs; spending time with them brings balance and energy to my life outside of technical work. For me, these interests complement my engineering mindset by keeping me creative, balanced, and connected with people beyond the world of technology.

Hi there,
I'm John Paul

Experience

Stories